lemon poppy seed pancakes

my cute friend took me out to lunch for my birthday a while back and these were on the breakfast menu. i decided to look up a recipe to see if i couldn't create a new Easter breakfast tradition. i found it--these were excellent!

recipe comes from pickycook.com. i reduced the amount of poppy seeds by about half. the amount i prefer is what's written here.

for my growing family, we need to double the batch.

ingredients

2 cups unbleached ap (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 T poppy seeds
zest of 4 lemons
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

directions

mix the first half of the ingredients in one bowl. then the second half in another. gently combine, being careful not to mix too much--it's okay if it's a little lumpy. these needed to be cooked at a little bit lower heat. i cooked them on about 375 on my griddle. serve with berries on top. i used strawberries sprinkled with a little bit of sugar (and let them sit a while) and it was divine.

split pea soup

this is my favorite thing to do with leftover Easter (or Christmas) ham. since i wasn't in charge of the ham for this Easter, i just grabbed some pork hocks to use instead this time. it's from the better homes and gardens cook book.

ingredients

2 C chicken broth
1 C split peas
1 - 1 1/2 lbs meaty pork hocks or ham bone
1/4 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
1 medium onion
1 small potato (i added this)

directions

put everything but broth in the crock pot. then pour chicken broth, plus 2 additional C water over the ingredients. 10-12 hours on low. 5-6 hours on high.

a red green salad

years ago a friend of mine made this yummy salad for a baby shower. i thought of it the other day when i was asked to bring a salad to a gathering. i was so glad i resurrected it!

i need your help, though. the dressing calls for sugar and after i had whisked it to death, it was still gritty. do you have any tips for me?

salad ingredients

greens (romaine, spinach, green leaf)
green fruits (apples, avocado, pear, kiwi, grapes)
red fruits (strawberries, pomegranate, dried cranberries, apples, grapes, pink grapefruit)
toasted almonds or caramelized pecans
crumbled bacon or shredded parmesan cheese

dressing ingredients

1 C sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion juice
3/4 C oil
1 T poppy seeds

The dressing has a trick... as you add the oil you have to whisk the dressing aggressively, until you see the color and texture change. The dressing will turn almost creamy looking and thick - you will not be able to see any oil on top. If you do see oil, keep on whisking.

spicy mustard and honey pork chops

i love this recipe because it's so fast, easy and delicious! dinner in 30 minutes.

preheat oven to 375. spray the bottom of your baking dish with cooking spray. arrange pork chops in the dish. brush spicy brown mustard over the meat (be generous). then sprinkle with dried onions. then drizzle with honey. bake for about 30 minutes or so.